Don’t Do the Crime if You Can’t Do the Time

Tellin’ My Age

I came into the world about the 
Third week of 68 my B/C stated
Barely 4 months old 
When Dr. King was assassinated.

Just a toddler when peace signs
Bell bottoms and afros
Were the hippest things ever
When the Shenandoah River and
Rocky Mountains were praised by John Denver. 

We were tuned into Aunt Esther and Fred
Go at it time after time 
While watching the asphalt grow
From 73 to 79. 

In the early to mid 80s
When Grand Master Flash
And The Furious Five
Came with The Message 
And White Lines

We rocked with Mike
Jammed with Prince
And been singing along with
Whitney & Luther ever since. 

We grooved to the music of 
Raw Soul aka Frankie Beverly & Maze. 
While coming into our own,
You know that teenage phase. 

I learned things ...

Strength:

Strength is one of the heaviest 
Weights you’ll ever have to carry
In your life.

Having strength is great
But it can get heavy at times
If you don’t have others
That are strong with you.

It can lift you up 
But its weight can break you down. 

You see,
Being strong for too long
Starts feeling like a repetitive song. 
You get tired of it.

You get tired of it
To the point where the can’ts,
Won’ts and don’ts
Show up and show out,

Anxiety begins to settle in
It’s new place as it
Pushes peace out

Your heart gets heavy,
Like lead is coursing
Through your veins

Your hands are hurting 
From holding onto the reins

And no matter how
Hard you try to keep closed fists

The leather burns through 
Your fingers a...

Don’t Do the Crime if You Can’t Do the Time

Sacrificed at the altar of his ambitions
I remained enslaved by his conditions
Blinded and brainwashed
I was in deep, he was all I knew
Whether awake or sleep.

Dealing with barrages of
Accusations and threats
Kept me wondering if his blade
Was done piercing the little flesh
I had left.

As time went by, I often wondered
How much more damage
Could he do?
It seemed every time I spoke up
For myself he’d knock that down too.

How could I let this happen?
What was my life turning into?
Everything was backwards
Nothing was making sense
My life as I’d come to know it
Was nothing short of past tense.

I prayed when I cried
And I cried when I prayed
To feel that last and final
Cut of his blade.

But as broken as I was
That last day came nigh,
And the pain was gone
Just like...

Peace Be Still

Restless spirit, I summon thee,
Release me from your hold,
Can’t you see, the light is setting you free?
It’s time for you to go.
My mind is confused; my heart feels used
Since you forced your way into my soul.

You took it upon yourself
To capitalize on my grief,
Making it hard for me to rationalize and speak.
What is it that you truly seek?

You sent your demons to corrupt my thoughts,
I almost gave up as they raced and raged
Inside my head like an oceanic juggernaut.
But no, uh uh, absolutely damn not!
I adamantly refuse to give you the glory,
The victory of my submission
And you erasing my story?????
Nah, no can do,
Because my mission and purpose on this earth
Is so much greater than you!

Even if I’m at the end of my rope,
Rest assured as God made Heaven and earth,
I will never give up hope.

Mental Preservation

If you’re gonna allow your brain
To become an attraction
For other people‘s distractions,
Make sure the monies
Are profitable and well spent.
The last thing you need
Is folk taking up space in your head
Without paying rent.

Discern what deserves your
Attention, your time, your energy.
Not all comments need responses
Just like not every thought needs
A place in your consciousness.

Trying to be a “know it all”
Acting like you “got it all”
Is the trash that dirties those
Who educate for appearance.

But learning how to be
A “let’s see what’s for me”
Keeping in mind “all isn’t free”
Is the broom that sweeps
For those that educate for experience.

Taking heed to these things
Will reduce mental stress
This isn’t just a PSA or an...

Strength Beyond Measure

Reflections of life’s events
Present and project themselves
Like a movie at a drive-in theater before me.
Flickers of déjà vu
Connect missing pieces
Aiding in my understanding
Of events to come.
A prerequisite for the preparation
Of future events.
Insights of dreams
That have come to fruition
Has brought everything full circle
As I am shown the way.
Speechless, I stand
As deafening silence
Quietly introduces itself.
Raindrops begin to fall
With resounding applause
Bringing relief to my ears
Through unseen tears
As they fell like waterfalls.
But as I listened,
My pain began to subside
And although my storm rages on,
I am at peace within
The tornado of chaos
That surrounds me.
Losing one soul after the next,
Feels like an added weight on my chest.
So how does one...

Looking for Forever

Looking for forever in a world of uncertainty.
A place where lost hopes
Find empty dreams of you and me
Searching to live happily
Even after lives were ripped to shreds,
Because Willie’s syndrome-tactics (syndrome-antics)
Created syndrome addicts
And most of us are still hooked.

Yet as though we move on,
We ask ourselves
Will insanity regain its composure and
Untie the complexities of our understandings?
Or will they relish in their complacency
And let things remain as they are, as is?

Will we ever figure it out?

Looking for forever in a world of uncertainty
A place where renewed faith and hopes
Lost in fulfilled realities of we and they
Were found living happily
Even after lives have been ripped to shreds,
May seem farfetched
But it’s not impossible.
Because Willie’s syndrome-tactics (syndrome-an...

After the Rain

Heaven sent its angels

In the form of the raindrops

Silently comforting the unknown

In preparation for their next arrival.

Cool and gentle were the winds

That whispered to the clouds

As the sky transitioned

From gray to blue.

Her qualifications proved stellar

In the eyes of God and so

He prepared a special place for her.

Relinquishing her of all pain

Renewing her strength and vitality

As He took her by the hand.

Her loving smile and friendly personality

Will be forever etched

In the hearts and minds

Of all who came to know her.

And although for now as tears flow

Peace and smiles will prevail

As we reflect on her memory.

Yes, our hearts are heavy

But this too will come to pass

She’s fine and better than ever now

Since her joy came tha...

What Remains to be Seen:

Speak love, light and prosperity

Into every ear regardless of

The choices they make.

Silence harmful tongues and

Allow the power that is,

Determine their fate.

By human nature we’re seekers

Our inquisitiveness can sometimes

Lead to raised brows or squinting eyes

As we try to understand

The here and now

Just to make sense of things

As time passes by.

But yet if we summon

Our spiritual nature, we leave the

Unattainable and unexplainable

To the one who knows us

More than we know ourselves.

And as we gracefully accept,

Bow out and continue on with our dailies,

Time will reveal all we are to know

At every level of understanding.

No matter how strong the desire to comprehend

Plagues us to the point of que...

Life Sentence

Every time I look into your eyes,
I want to envision
The next 5 years of our lives;
Where we’ll go, what we’ll do.

With every touch I want to believe
That the next 10 years of happiness
Will raise my palpitations so high
That the bad times won’t seem so bad.

And just by the mere thought of you
The scent of your essence should
Hold me captive to your embrace
For the rest of my days.

And whenever I hear the sweet
Soulful sound of your voice,
I’ll smile as love’s vibrations
Carry us through to the end of time.

And with every kiss we should
Taste the sweetest connection
Of true love ever felt by two people
So much so that any other would be sour.

Life’s senses, touching you, seeing you,
Hearing your voice, tasting your kisses,
Smelling your essence are the o...